Bug Lights

More brilliance from the mind of J-Fled:

• New rule from J-FLED. Starting today, vehicle emergency lights must be on during every call and stop. He wants to create the illusion we are everywhere, even though we are shorthanded. This idiot is without a lick of street sense. He is creating targets, not solving problems.
  

We see three reasons for this:

• The illusion we're everywhere: the notice posted in the CO Book even says "perception." This is ridiculous. It's becoming rapidly apparent that the "perception" has no basis in reality and our ability to affect crime and disorder is an illusion.
  
  
• The cameras: evidently, beat cars aren't generating enough digital recordings of events. The camera goes on when the lights go on. When you arrive and shut off the lights, the event is bookmarked and when uploaded, clears out the cache of anything afterward. By leaving the lights on, the camera keeps running.
  
  
• J-Fled is supposedly working the streets again: by having the lights on, he can see where the nearest squad car is in case he needs to run away and hide from someone shooting.
  

In any event, there are dozens of reasons this is a dumb idea, first being that the blue lights act like bug lights - they attract every pest within walking distance of knowing exactly where the police are. We were trained long ago that the lights go off unless needed for traffic safety, otherwise too many idiots wander up to see what's going on and officer safety comes into play.

It's a poorly worded directive, but typical of downtown, house-mouse thinking.